Method and system for presenting different views to passengers in a moving vehicle

• US 7,570,274 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2006
• Issued: 08/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Humphries, Orin L.
• Primary Examiner(s): HARRISON, CHANTE E
• Application Number:
  US11/435,327
• Publication Number:
  US 20060232609A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,176 Days
• Field of Search: 345/619, 345/659, 345/657, 345/649, 345/418, 244/118, 244/118.5, 701/1, 701/36, 348/117, 348/118, 348/123, 348/144, 348/147, 348/135, 348/142, 348/148, 348153-155, 340/945, 340/953, 340/990, 340/992, 340/995.17, 340/995.19, 340/995.24, 340/995.28, 340/974, 340/975, 340/988
• US Class Current: 345/659
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/005 images, e.g. video
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 21/02 for inducing sleep or relaxation, e.g. by direct nerve stimulation, hypnosis, analgesia for massage A61H; electrotherapy A61N, e.g. applying alternating or intermittent electric currents for producing anaesthesia A61N1/36021
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/0015 Arrangements for entertainment or communications, e.g. radio, television
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/00151 Permanently mounted seat back monitors
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2011/0061 Windows displaying outside view, artificially generated
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

Systems and methods for presenting images in a vehicle as the vehicle rotates about a rotation axis are disclosed. In one embodiment, the system includes a signal receiving portion that receives a first signal corresponding to an image of a first view from a position located a first distance from the rotation axis. A signal processing portion directs to a signal display portion located a second distance from the rotation axis, a time varying second signal that represents a second view. The second view can be a portion of the first view and can occupy an area less than the area occupied by the first view. The location of the second area relative to the first area can be selected based at least on an amount by which the first and second distances differ.

Claims

1. A system for presenting images corresponding to views external to a vehicle as the vehicle rotates about a rotation axis, comprising:

a first display portion positioned within the vehicle at a first distance from the rotation axis;

a second display portion positioned within the vehicle at a second distance from the rotation axis, the second distance being different than the first distance;

a first image source positioned a third distance from the rotation axis and being operatively coupled to the first display portion to transmit to the first display portion a first signal corresponding to a first image of a view external to the vehicle;

a second image source positioned a fourth distance from the rotation axis and being operatively coupled to the second display portion to transmit to the second display portion a second signal corresponding to a second image of a view external to a vehicle, the fourth distance being different than the third distance;

a first passenger seat positioned at least proximate to the first display portion; and

a second passenger seat positioned at least proximate to the second display portion, the first and second passenger seats being positioned at different distances from the rotation axis, on same side of the rotation axis.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the vehicle includes an aircraft and wherein the rotation axis includes a roll axis of the aircraft, further wherein the first display portion is positioned on a first axis generally parallel to the roll axis, the second display portion is positioned on a second axis generally parallel to the roll axis, the first image source is positioned closer than the second image source to the first axis, and the second image source is positioned closer than the first image source to the second axis.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising the vehicle and wherein the vehicle includes an aircraft.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising the vehicle, and wherein the vehicle includes an aircraft, further wherein the rotation axis includes a roll axis of the aircraft, still further wherein the first and second image sources each have a line of sight aligned generally parallel with the rotation axis.

5. A system for presenting images corresponding to views external to an aircraft, the aircraft being rotatable about a roll axis, the system comprising:

an image source positioned a first distance from the roll axis and being configured to transmit a time-varying first signal representing a first view external to the vehicle, the first view encompassing a first viewing area having a first centroid that rotates about the roll axis at a first angular rate;

a display portion positioned within the vehicle at a second distance from the roll axis, the second distance being different than the first distance; and

a processing portion coupled between the image source and the display portion, the processing portion being configured to receive the first signal from the image source and transmit a time-varying second signal to the display portion, the second signal representing a second view external to the vehicle, the second view being a portion of the first view and occupying a second area less than the first area, the second area having a second centroid that rotates about the roll axis at a second angular rate, the second angular rate being proportional to the first angular rate multiplied by the second distance and divided by the first distance.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the image source includes a camera configured to transmit a digital image of the first view.

7. The system of claim 5 wherein the image source includes a first camera positioned on a first side of the rotation axis and a second camera positioned on a second side of the rotation axis opposite the first side, and wherein the display portion includes a first display portion positioned on the first side of the rotation axis and a second display portion positioned on the second side of the rotation axis.

8. A “

computer-implemented”

method for presenting images corresponding to views external to a vehicle, comprising;

while the vehicle rotates about a rotation axis;

directing “

from a computer-based system”

to a first display portion mounted and attached to the vehicle and positioned at a first distance from the rotation axis a first signal from a first signal source corresponding to a first image of a view external to a vehicle; and

directing to a second display portion mounted and attached to the vehicle and positioned at a second distance from the rotation axis a second signal from a second signal source corresponding to a second image of a view external to a vehicle, wherein the first distance is different than the second distance, the first signal source is different than the second signal source, and the first and second display portions are on the same side of the rotation axis.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein directing to a first display includes directing to a first display positioned within an aircraft passenger compartment and wherein directing to a second display includes directing to a second display positioned within the aircraft passenger compartment.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the vehicle includes an aircraft, further wherein the rotation axis includes a roll axis of the aircraft, still further wherein the directing the first signal from the first image source includes directing the first signal from a first image source having a first line of sight aligned generally parallel with the roll axis at a third distance from the rotation axis, and wherein directing the second signal from the second image source includes directing the second signal from a second image source having a second line of sight aligned generally parallel with the rotation axis at a fourth distance from the rotation axis, the third distance being closer to the first distance than to the second distance, the fourth distance being closer to the second distance than to the first distance.

11. A “

computer-implemented”

method for presenting images corresponding to a view external to an aircraft having a longitudinal axis, the method comprising;

while the aircraft rotates about the longitudinal axis;

receiving a first signal from a signal source representing a time-varying first view external to the vehicle, the first view encompassing a first area, the signal source being positioned a first distance from the rotation axis, the first area having a first centroid that rotates about the rotation axis at a first angular rate as the aircraft rotates about the longitudinal axis;

directing “

from a computer-based system”

a time-varying second signal to a display portion of the vehicle, the display portion being positioned a second distance from the rotation axis, the second distance being different than the first distance, the second signal including a time-varying second view external to the vehicle, the second view being a portion of the first view and occupying a second area less than the first area, the second area having a second centroid that rotates about the rotation axis at a second angular rate, the second angular rate being proportional to the first rotation rate multiplied by the second distance and divided by the first distance.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving the first signal from a camera.